Bottle carrier



May 5, 1942. J. Q'BRlEN 2,281,592

BOTTLE CARRIER 7 Filed May 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet J V May 5,1942. O'BREN 7 2,281,592,

' BOTTLE CARRIER Filed May 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 5, 194-2 UNITED STATES 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle carriers.

Heretofore, in Patent No. 2,070,399, dated February 9, 1937, to Thomas H. Goldring, a. cardboard carrier or carton for bottle goods, creased to provide a bottom, straight sides, inwardly-inclined top members and abutting handle flaps, is shown and described in which the bottles are carried with the bottle-bottoms keyed into apertures in the sides and the tops of the bottles projected through apertures or openings in inclined carton top members, the bottles, in the filling operation of the carton, being placed in upright position on the carton-bottom, and the sides, inclined top members and vertical handle flaps then being brought together to cause projection of the bottle sides through the side apertures, and the apertures in the inclined top members to pass over the tops of the bottles. In this construction, the meeting line of the carrier sides which extends between the base portions of the handle flaps and the upper portions of the inclined top members and forms What may be termed the carrying axis of the carrier, is positioned over such bottle tops and the top-engaging apertures also, of course, extend over such bottle tops. In the patent to Claude D. Keith No. 2,094,744, issued October 5, 1937, for Bottle carrier, said meeting line or carrying axis is lowered below the tops of the bottle and the neck apertures are positioned still further below said meeting line. In this last-mentioned patent, the lowering of the meeting lines of the handle flaps is usually accomplished by initially passing of the tops of the bottles through neck-engaging apertures while the strip is flattened out and the bottles are in horizontal position, the sides and tops .of the carrier and the bottles secured therein being thereafter moved like the leaves of a book into vertical position and fastened. In this construction, the bottles may also be passed through the ends while the carton is in erected and fastened position. In removing bottles from the Keith carton, either one of these operations may be reversed, viz: the carton may be unfastened and then opened like opening the leaves of a book so that the bottles will be moved into a position in which they are lying down horizontally on the sides of the carton with the necks projecting through such apertures or the bottles may, by grasping the bodies thereof, be removed one at a time through the ends of the carton.

While it is highly desirable, in order to lock the bottle tightly within the carton and to procure compactness, that the said meeting line or carrying axis of the carrier. sides be positioned below the tops of the bottles and also to have the neck-engaging apertures positioned below said bottle-tops, the unloading or removal of the bottles in the homefrom the carton may be facilitated if the bottles can be removed by a direct upward pull thereof, and it is one of the objects of this invention to retain the advantages of lowering the carrying axis or meeting line of the sides, and securely locking the bottles within the carton, while at the same time permitting a more ready removal of the bottles from the carton.

In general terms, my invention comprises the provision of a creased cardboard carton of the type specified having inclined top members with bottle-engaging cover flaps cut out from such inclined sections and hinged along a crease positioned adjacent to said carrying axis or meeting line of the carton sides and movable about its hinge or crease to swing upwardly over the bottle top to release the same and downwardly over the bottle top to engage and lock the same within the carton, and each of these hinged cover flaps is preferably provided with or contains one com-'- plete aperture for a middle bottle'and sections of apertures at opposite edges formed by severing said flap from an inclined top portion of the carton vertically across apertures for the end bottles so that each cover-flap will be provided, at opposite side edges, with notches comprising sectional portions of bottle apertures which, in'bottle-engaging position, will be complemented by notches in the inclined top members and its middle portion will be provided with a central aperture,

said cover-flap being adapted in raised position to free the tops of the bottles whereby such bottles may be removed from the carton by a simple upward movement thereof and when in lowered position will securely look all the bottles in place and will have all the advantages inggripping the necks of the bottles and sustaining or carrying part of the weight thereof that is inherent in the Keith carton hereinabove re ferred to. I With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to coactand co-operate with each other in the ,per- .formance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a six-bottle 99 of Fig. 8;

carton loaded with bottles and showing my coverflap lowered in bottle-engaging position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a view in plan showing how a strip of cardboard is cut and creased to form a doubleof Figs. 1 to 3 in loading position and having inclined top portions and cover-flap bent up to receive the necks of the bottles;

Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 3 showing a modified form of carton for carrying three bottles;

Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation of another modified form of a carton embodying my coverfiap and which is preferably fastened before filling and may be filled through my flap-covered opening; v

Fig. 9 is a view invertical section on the line Figs. 10 and 11 are side edge views showing preferred methods of folding the carton shown in Figs. 8 and 9 so as to avoid creasing the carton bottom.

Referring now to these drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 thereof, l indicates a bottle carrier or carton adapted to carry two rows of bottles B and which is composed of a strip of cardboard or other flexible and creasable material creased and folded in the form shown to provide a bottom 2 formed between creases 2', 2 and oppositely-disposed wall portions composed of. side members or sections 3, 3' extending from the bottom to creases 3 3 and having bottleside locking apertures 3 inclined top members or sections 4, 4' extending from the creases 3*, 3 to creases 4 4 and handle flap 5, 5' abutting each other .at the middle of the two rows .of bottles and projecting upwardly to free terminal ends 5*, 5 In the form of carrier or carton shown, the body of the carrier is similar to thatshown anddescribed in the said patent to Keith No. 2,094,744, and the top members 4, 4' are adapted to cross the necks b of the rows of bottles B andto meet between the rows of bottles at a. meeting line or carrying axis A which is positioned below the tops of the bottles B so that theaxis of the carrying stress is lowered to a line well below the tops of the bottles.

In the said Keith patent, the said meeting line or carrying axis is lowered well below the tops of the bottles by providingin the inclined top portions or members 4, 4', a series of neck-engaging apertures isolated from one another and utilizing the method of filling the carton illustrated in Fig. 5 by the use of which'meth'od the bottles are initially passed through'such isolated apertures so as to project therethrough while the side members 3, 3 and bottom 2 of the cartonare in flattened condition. In this method of filling, the top members 4, 4 and the flaps 5, 5' only are initially bent upwardly to receive the top of the bottles, and after the bottles areinserted therein, the ends of the carton are swung about the bottom hinge creases in the manner of folding the covers of a book and the filled carton is thereby moved into erected condition as shown in Fig. 2. This method of filling is very-handy andmay, if desired, be continued in the'pr'esent'invention', as willreadily be seen from an examination of Fig.

5. When, however, in a carton of this type the bottles are tightly packed in the carton and the flaps securely fastened, it is not so handy for unskilled persons to remove the bottles from the apertures through the ends, and unless this is done, it is necessary to release the flaps and to move one or both sides of the carton into tilted or flattened condition and then to remove the bottles. It is obvious that the connecting portions between the three isolated apertures 6 may be cut away so they be formed into one large aperture and that the bottles may be removed through this large aperture, but thi weakens the carton materially, leaves the necks of the bottles loose and prevents the making of a tight package of the bottles. This present invention is intended to retain in large measure the strength of the carton, the separation or spacing and locking of the bottle necks and the tightness of the package, while permitting unloading of the bottles through the inclined top members, and with this end in View, I provide the inclined top members 4, 4' with bottle-locking flaps l, 7' each of which, as shown, is cut out from the material of the inclined top members to form an enlarged opening I I and is hinged along a line 8 disposed above the tops of the bottles and parallel with the carryin axis A. In the preferred form illustrated, each flap comprises a body portion having, at its middle portion, a single isolated aperture 9 adapted to swing down over and engage the mid? dle bottle of a row and has at its side edges notches 9', 9 which, in conjunction with notches 6 6 in the neck members 4, form bottle neckengaging apertures for the end bottles in a row, the conjoint neck-engaging apertures preferably being formed by cutting each of the side edges of the flap along a line substantially coinciding with the vertical axis of the conjoint end apertures B, 6. It is obvious that all three apertures might be included in the flap if desired by simply making the same wider. The bottom edges '5, 1 of the flaps are preferably disposed parallel with the creases 4 4 and are each preferably provided with a finger-engaging notch I0. i

In operation, assuming the flap to be in closed position, the edge I is lifted upwardly and moved over the tops of the bottles of the row, which may then be removed, as shown in Fig. 4, through the enlarged opening I I, the middle bottle preferably being removed first and then the end bottles, though with a wider flap either of the bottles may be removed with equal facility.

In Figs. 6 and '7 I have shown a carton construction adapted to carry a single row of three bottles instead of two rows as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5. This modified form is in all respects similar at one" side or wall to the carton .described hereinabove, being provided with similar creases and sections which are indicated in the drawings by similar reference characters, the bottom creases however, being closer together. The opposite wall 3* is straight and vertical, the member 4 and flap i being omitted, and is pref erably provided at its lower end-with base-engaging apertures 3 and'at the upper end said wall-is provided with a tongue l2" registering with a similar hand aperture in the abutting flange or handle section. In operation, the last mentioned carton will carry bottles in substantially the same mannera the double-row carton hereinabove specified; g

' ,-While any suitable handle may be applied to the top of the neck-engaging sections A, 4', in the preferred embodiment of my invention shown I utilize the integrally-formed handle flap comprising terminal sections 5, 5, one of which is provided with a hand aperture l2 and the other of which is provided with a struck-up tongue !2 adapted to pass through the aperture l2 on the other member to provide a fastening element for the carrier or carton. As in my improved carton, the tongue need not be released to remove the bottles, I also preferably, after filling, fasten the tongue 62 to the flap 5 by a staple or steel stitch l3.

In Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive, I have illustrated another modification adapted to be stitched initially at the carton factory, though it might also be stitched after filling at the bottling plant.

It is desirable in cartons of this type to keep the bottom of the carton rigid in order to avoid accidently collapsing thereof after part of the bottles are removed by the user of the beverage and to this end, I enable a flattening out of the carton to permit ready stitching of the handle flaps by outside creasing of one or both of the sides as at Hi, It (Fig, 10) or inside creasing of one or both sides as at IE, it of Fig. 11. In this form of my invention, I utilize three steel stitches l5, l5, Et to non-releasably fasten the flaps 5, 5'.

In all other respects, the carton shown in Figs. 8- to 11 is similar to that described in relation to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A bottle-carrying carton composed of a strip of flexible material and comprising a carton body adapted, when loaded, to carry a row of bottles, said strip being creased to provide a bottom and oppositely-disposed upwardly-extending wall portions including side members and at least one top portion being disposed in inclined position and adapted to cross the top portions of a row of bottles to be carried in the carton and meeting the opposite wall portion of the carton at a line below the tops of the bottles, said inclined top portion of the carton being severed adjacent to opposite side edges and to the bottom of said top portion to provide a wide bottleunloading opening through which the top portions of the row of bottles project and having side edges adapted to embrace segmental portions of the necks of the end bottles of said row, said opening being of a width greater than the diameter of the body portion of one bottle and less than the sum of the diameters of the body portions of the row of bottles carried, a handle portion having a connection to the upper end of said inclined top portion, and a bottle-engaging flap comprising the said carton-top portion so severed to form said unloading opening, said flap being hinged at the upper end of said bottle unloading opening and adapted to engage the top portions of the row of bottles to force the projecting bottle necks into tightened engagement with the edges of said unloading opening.

2. A bottle-carrying carton composed of a strip of flexible material and comprising a carton body adapted, when loaded, to carry two parallel rows of bottles, said strip being creased to provide a bottom and oppositely-disposed upwardly-extending wall portions including side members and top portions disposed in inclined position and adapted to cross the top portions of the rows of bottles carried in the carton and meeting the opposite wall portion of the carton at a line below the tops of the bottles, said inclined top portions of the carton each being severed adjacent to opposite side edges and to the bottom of said top portion to provide a laterally-disposed bottle unloading opening through which the necks of the rows of bottles project, each of said openings having side edges adapted to embrace segmental portions of the necks of the end bottles of the rows and being of a width greater than the diameter of the body portion of one bottle and less than the sum of the diameters of the body portion of the row of bottles being carried, a handle comprising integral abutting flaps connected to the upper ends of said inclined top portions, and bottle-engaging flaps comprising the said carton-top portions so severed to form said unloading openings, said naps being hinged at the upper edge of each of said bottle unloading openings and adapted to engage the top portions of the rows of bottles to force the projecting bottle necks into tightened engagement with the edges of said unloading opening.

3. A bottle-carrying carton composed of a strip of flexible material and comprising a carton body adapted, when loaded, to carry two parallel rows of bottles, said strip being creased to provide a bottom and oppositely-disposed upwardly-extending wall portions including side members and top portions disposed in inclined position and adapted to cross the top portions of the rows of bottles carried in the carton and meeting the opposite wall portion of the carton at a line below the tops of the bottles, said inclined top portions each being provided with a laterally-disposed bottle unloading opening through which the necksof the rows of bottles project, each of said openings having side edges adapted to embrace segmental portions of the necks of the end bottles of the rows and being of a width greater than the diameter of the body portion of one bottle and less than the sum of the diameters of the body portion of the row of bottles being carried, a handle comprising integral abutting flaps connected to the upper ends of said inclined top portions, and bottle-engaging flaps hinged at the upper edge of each of said bottle unloading openings and adapted, upon lifting movement through said handle, to engage the top portions of the rows of bottles to force the bottle necks extending through said opening into tightened engagement with the edges thereof, said flaps each being provided with a middle aperture for fitting over and engaging the middle bottles of said rows and having notches at opposite side edges to engage the other bottles of said rows.

JOSEPH F. O'BRIEN. 

